1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to binders for releasably retaining and organizing apertured paper. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for attaching a ring binder assembly to a cover of such a notebook.
2. Description of the Related Art
Notebook binders for releasably retaining apertured paper sheets and the like therein are well known. Conventionally, a ring binder assembly, for example one comprising three sets of mating pairs of half-rings for releasably holding apertured paper, is attached to a spine or back cover of a notebook cover. The cover comprises a substrate, which provides shape and strength enabling the protective function of the cover and typically comprises segments for the spine and front and back covers all usually formed of the same or of similar material, typically comprising a substrate composed of cardboard, chipboard, or the like. The substrate is covered by a flexible protective and aesthetically pleasing material such as a textile or an elastomeric film.
For purposes of illustration, choosing the case of a cover employing a polymeric resin film, typically the spine and front and back cover substrate segments are each confined within an individual compartment formed by placing them on a first sheet of polymeric resin film and overlaying these with a second sheet of polymeric resin film and thermally welding the two films together around the edges of each of the substrate segments. The outer periphery of the notebook is defined by cutting the film away at the outer thermal weld surrounding the three substrate segments. Typically, this forms a notebook cover having plastic hinges at the thermal weld portions between the spine and the front and back covers; and in the present specification and claims, it is to be understood that the notebook "cover" includes both the front and back cover and the spine.
A ring binder assembly is thereafter conventionally attached to the notebook cover by driving rivets through the spine or back cover of the notebook cover. The rivets are received through holes in the ring binder assembly, and typically driven against an anvil which deforms the rivets on the side of the ring binder assembly which will face inwardly in the completed notebook binder.
In a three-ring notebook, for example, typically two rivets are used intermediate the three rings. Rounded heads of the rivets are visible outside the notebook on the outer surface of the notebook cover.
This riveted construction has been founds by some to be objectionable for a number of reasons. As an example, the outer film of the cover, which, as mentioned, can be formed of plastic, is sometimes found to wrinkle in the location of the rivet head on the outside surface of the notebook binder cover. Likewise, if the covering of the binder cover is of cloth or another material susceptible to deformation a wrinkle can occur.
In another example, in one popular binder construction the outer cover of the binder is overlain with an additional film of clear plastic material. This allows insertion of customized printed matter between the clear plastic film and the film comprising the envelope surrounding the substrate forming the rigid components of the spine and front and back covers. The rivets can interfere with insertion of the printed matter and holes must be formed in the clear plastic cover film to mitigate this problem. However, this adds to the complexity of assembling such binders, and so to their cost. Also, even though the outer plastic film is not riveted to the cover because of the holes, papers being inserted between the outer plastic film and the cover may catch on the rivet heads and wrinkle and resist insertion. This is sometimes annoying to users of such binders.
As another example, it may be desirable to eliminate rivets or other fasteners for the reason that they may mar certain surfaces with which they come in contact. For example, metal rivet heads on the outside of the cover may scratch or dent soft wood surfaces. Also, exposed rivet heads may themselves be marred, for example, having a color paint applied to match the rest of the notebook cover they can become scratched, giving an unsightly appearance. In addition, a plain spine is more aesthetically pleasing, in the opinion of some, than one which has rivets along its surface.
Having recognized these disadvantages relating to aesthetic considerations and convenient use of the binder, attempts have been made to create a binder system which does not employ rivets which extend through the notebook cover to the outside of the binder. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,209 issued to Schuessler on Nov. 3, 1992 discloses a means of fastening a binder ring assembly to a cover, wherein the fastening arrangements are concealed from an outer surface of the binder. This prior system employs separate anchor plate elements which each include numerous prongs on a bottom surface which, when pressed downwardly into a binder spine or cover substrate, embed themselves therein and hold firmly in place. The anchor plates further include posts which, like rivets of previous constructions, are received through holes in the ring binder assembly. The upper ends of the posts are subsequently deformed, for example, by expanding and flattening, to retain the ring binder assembly on the posts.
The system disclosed in Schuessler '209 patent eliminates the difficulties described above connected with having a rivet extend through the binder cover. The prongs of the anchor plates terminate within a substrate segment of the cover, for example, the spine substrate, and accordingly do not present the aesthetic and functional difficulties mentioned. Nevertheless, the Schuessler system does involve using separate fastening elements comprising the anchor plate elements disclosed. Accordingly, manufacturing costs associated with using separate anchor plate elements in the construction are inherent in this system.
In this and other constructions where separate connecting elements or fasteners such as rivets are used to attach the ring binder assembly to the notebook cover at least one additional manufacturing step is necessitated materials and labor costs are thus added.
There is accordingly a need and desire for a more economical and simple system for a notebook binder construction. The present invention is directed to this need.